Saigon Attractions #24 The Ho Chi Minh Fine Arts Museum

This is to be found housed in two huge French Colonial Mansions at the top of Pho Duc Chinh, just before it reaches the Ben Thanh Market Roundabout. I have very mixed feelings about this place. Whilst I found some of the exhibits to be beautiful, stimulating and a rare glimpse at Vietnamese art, I feel that the buildings in which they are housed to be wholly inadequatete for the purpose of displaying them.

The grand entrance to the Ho Chi Minh Fine Arts Museum
The two huge mansion houses stand immediately next door to each other and cover three floors of exhibits plus some other stuff in the basement. I very soon though became fed up with wandering in and out of tiny rooms to view the paintings, sculptures and wood carvings. The rooms are simply too small and there is no easy way of flowing through the exhibition.

A superb wood carving from the museum
The larger of the two houses was once the home of Tang Huon Bon Hoa who was the eldest son of Hua Bon Hoa from Fjian in China. The son was a successful businessman who had the house built. The grandiose design was typical of the period when the address here was, 97 Rue D’Alsace Lorraine. The Fine Arts Museum has been housed here since 1987, which at least guarantees that these magnificent buildings are preserved.

A stunning oil painting by Tran Van Hong, this is called Happiness
The buildings are truly amazing and it is interesting to get to see these old colonial homes from the inside. However as I say, they do nothing to assist the viewing of the exhibits. I enjoyed walking round here but soon got tired of the stairs and doorways.

An amazing oil on canvass called the Tree of Life

It is though a worthy place to spend a couple of ours if this kind of art is your thing. The 50 cent entrance fee is negligible and therefore should put nobody off. It is worthwhile coming to take a peek into the old and modern art of Vietnam.

!steemitworldmap 10.769693 lat 106.699459 long The Ho Chi Minh Fine Arts Museum D3SCR

For other Saigon attractions see also:

#1 Suoi Tien Theme Park @inseasia/attractions-in-ho-chi-minh-city-suoi-tien-theme-park

#2 Vinh Nghiem pagoda@inseasia/saigon-attractions-vinh-nghiem-pagoda

#3 Notre Dame Basilica @inseasia/saigon-s-magnificent-notre-dame-basilica

#4 The Cu Chi Tunnels @inseasia/saigon-attractions-4-the-cu-chi-tunnels

#5 The Municipal Theatre of Ho Chi Minh City @inseasia/saigon-attractions-5-the-municipal-theatre-of-ho-chi-minh-city

#6 People’s Committee Building @inseasia/saigon-attractions-6-people-s-committee-building

#7 Museum of Vietnamese History @inseasia/saigon-attractions-7-museum-of-vietnamese-history

#8 The Reunification Palace @inseasia/saigon-attractions-8-the-reunification-palace

#9 The War Remnants Museum @inseasia/saigon-attractions-8-the-war-remnants-museum

#10 Nguyen Hue @inseasia/saigon-attractions-10-nguyen-hue

#11 Hotel Majestic @inseasia/saigon-attractions-11-the-hotel-majestic

#12 Bui Vien @inseasia/saigon-attractions-12-bui-vien

#13 The Fito Museum @inseasia/saigon-attractions-13-the-fito-museum-of-traditional-medicine

#14 Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens @inseasia/saigon-attractions-14-saigon-zoo-and-botanical-gardens

#15 Saigon Central Post Office @inseasia/saigon-attractions-15-saigon-central-post-office

#16 Ben Thanh Market @inseasia/saigon-attractions-16-ben-thanh-market

#17 Pho Binh @inseasia/saigon-attractions-17-pho-binh-the-secret-headquarters-of-the-vietcong

#18 Dong Khoi @inseasia/saigon-attractions-18looking-up-dong-khoi-from-saigon-saigon

#19 Golden Dragon Water Puppet Theatre @inseasia/saigon-attractions-19-golden-dragon-water-puppet-theatre

#20 Dam Sen Water Park @inseasia/saigon-attractions-20-dam-sen-water-park

#21 Cu Chi Wildlife Rescue Station @inseasia/saigon-attractions-21-cu-chi-wildlife-rescue-station

#22 The Bitexco Financial Tower @inseasia/saigon-attractions-22-the-bitexco-financial-tower

#23 The Chieu Loc-Thi Nghe Canal @inseasia/saigon-attractions-23-the-chieu-loc-thi-nghe-canal

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